IU bookstores will close their doors briefly this month to complete the transition to new bookstore operator Follett Higher Education Group.

Bookstores on all campuses except IU Fort Wayne will close at 5 p.m. May 20 and reopen no later than Tuesday, May 31. The closure will allow for the transition from Barnes & Noble, which has operated the university’s bookstores since 2007, to Follett.

A closing liquidation sale is going on at each affected bookstore, including the sale of spirit wear, general merchandise, trade books and other items.

This is the next step in a larger transition that is bringing several bookstore enhancements for faculty, staff and students. These enhancements include a streamlined course materials process, upgrades to the online IU store, and updates to physical retail locations on the IU Bloomington, IUPUI and regional campuses.

The Follett Discover portal went live on One.IU this month. Here’s what that change means for faculty and staff who order course materials:

• If your class begins May 23 or earlier, submit your order via the Barnes & Noble Adoption Insights Portal.
• If your class begins May 24 or later, submit your order via the Follett Discover portal. Find the portal by searching “Order Textbooks/Course Materials (Faculty)” inside One.IU.
  • If you’ve already placed an order for a late-summer or fall class through the Barnes & Noble portal, submit a new order through the Follett portal. However, you do not need to cancel any late-summer or fall orders submitted via Barnes & Noble.
  • Follett recommends faculty submit late-summer orders by May 20 and fall orders by June 3.

The university’s decision to partner with Follett was announced in March, and came after a full review and selection process by a committee of key IU stakeholders.

The IU community can expect to see upgrades to the IU online store, giving students and fans 24/7 access to classroom materials and IU fan merchandise. Follett is also expected to make upgrades to the physical bookstores on each campus, including expanded product assortments and updated branding, as well as additional capabilities like print-on-demand for IUPUI and regional athletics.

Follett has nearly 150 years of experience in the education industry, with more than 1,100 campus store partnerships across the U.S and Canada.

The transition does not affect IU Fort Wayne.

Bethany Nolan is a senior communications consultant in the Office of the Vice President for Communications and Marketing.